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No. 1,582. A PAT'ENTED MAY s, 1840.

' A. s. WOLGOTT.

METHOD OF TAKING LIKENESSES BY'MEANS. OF A GONGAVE REFLECTOR AND PLATES so PREPARED AS THAT LUMINOUS OR OTHER RAYS A WILL AcT THEREON.

My M

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.- 4

ALEXANDER S. WOLGOTT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF TAKlNG LIKENESSES BY MEANS OF A CONCAVE REFLECTOR AND PLATES SO PREPARED AS THAT LUMINOUS OR OTHER RAYS WILL ACT THEREON.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1,582, dated May 8, 1840.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER S. WOL- OOTT, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a newand Improved Method of 'Taking' Likenesses from Life, of

which the following is afnll and exact description.

A is a box, inside of which, at the end' B, a concave refiector (which may either be a piece of solid metal or glass silvered) is placed, with the reflecting-surface facing the other end,

which has an opening corresponding to the' size of the reflector.

O is alight metal frame fixed by a thin support D toa piece of wood or other material E, with which'it slides on the bottom of I the box, in a direction perpendicular to the small spring F, pressing the plate, paper, or other material on the back, and between which spring and the frame 0 the plate, paper, or other material is slid. I

A small door'should be 'made on .the top of the box for the purposeof observing the focal lmage.

The box A should be placed ona table or other support at such height that'the center of the reflector may be as high 'as that part of the person which is intended-to be in the middle of the picture. picture of the person is intended to be taken, the focus may be adjusted by a microscope, which may be introduced through a hole-in the top or side of the box or held by the hand at the doorway on the top. I

When a very small When the camera-that is,'the box with the reflector, &c.-is to, be used, the personv whose likeness is to be taken should be placed in a chair, to which some suitable support for .the head is attached to enable him to remain perfectly still. The camera should then be placed with theopen end immediately opp0-, site to the person. A trial-plate is then to-be placed or put against the frame 0 and the focus adjusted by sliding the piece E. The trial-plate is then to be removed and the plate, paper, or other material (prepared in any of the well-known methods forbeing acted on by luminous or other rays) put into its place and allowed to remain as long as required toform the image. A convenient size for such camera would be as follows: box A,

inside fifteen inches long, eight and a half .inches high, and eight'inches wide; reflector, 1

reflector may be about two-and a quarter inches diameter and four inches-focus and all the other parts of the camera of proportionate size;

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The taking of likenesses from life by the aid of a concave reflector placed so as to receive the rays, from the person whose'likeness is to be taken, and converge them to a focus on a prepared plate, paper, or other material placed tween the person and the reflector. A. s. WOLOOTT..

Witnesses:

W. H. WILSON, J. R. FLANAGAN. 

